User positioning technique for multi-platform communication system
First Claim
1. A method for determining user position, comprising:
- providing a plurality of individual transponding nodes;
establishing a plurality of links from a central processing hub with at least one remote user through said plurality of individual transponding nodes;
processing, at said hub, a plurality of signals transmitted from said at least one remote user through said plurality of links, including assigning a same code to each of said plurality of links, such that the timing, phase, and frequency of signals in both the forward and return links with respect to said at least one remote user are synchronized for said plurality of individual transponding nodes; and
determining the range of said at least one remote user utilizing the timing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mobile wireless communications system including a plurality of individual transponding nodes all in communication with a central processing hub. A local user signal is processed by the central processing hub and radiated through multiple paths to a plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms simultaneously. The signal is then re-radiated by each of the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms to a mobile terminal associated with a remote user that receives the re-radiated signal from the plurality of the plurality of individual transponding platforms coherently and in phase. The number of transponders and codes used to transmit each user signal can be readily adapted to user requirements. The central hub can determine the position of each of the remote users based on stored information derived from the synchronization of the various signals, and specifically relating to the timing, phase or frequency of the signals in both the forward and return link.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for determining user position, comprising:
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providing a plurality of individual transponding nodes;
establishing a plurality of links from a central processing hub with at least one remote user through said plurality of individual transponding nodes;
processing, at said hub, a plurality of signals transmitted from said at least one remote user through said plurality of links, including assigning a same code to each of said plurality of links, such that the timing, phase, and frequency of signals in both the forward and return links with respect to said at least one remote user are synchronized for said plurality of individual transponding nodes; and
determining the range of said at least one remote user utilizing the timing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A mobile wireless communication system, comprising:
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a plurality of individual transponding nodes;
a plurality of mobile terminals each associated with a respective remote user;
a central hub for establishing forward and return links with one or more of said plurality of mobile terminals, each through at least two of said plurality of individual transponding nodes and wherein each of said at least two of said plurality of individual transponding nodes can communicate with a respective one of said plurality of mobile terminals at the same frequency;
said central hub processing one or more signals received from said one or more of said plurality of mobile terminals and synchronizing one or more signals transmitted to said one or more of said plurality of mobile terminals such that an intended one of said one or more of said plurality of mobile terminals receives signals synchronously and in-phase;
whereby said central hub can determine the position of each one of said one or more of said plurality of mobile terminals based on information stored on said central hub regarding the timing, phase and/or frequency of signals in both the forward and return links. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for determining the position of a mobile user terminal in a wireless communication system, comprising:
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providing a plurality of mobile user terminals;
establishing links between each of said plurality of mobile user terminals and a hub through a plurality of transponding nodes;
processing a plurality of signals from said plurality of mobile user terminals at said hub such that signals are delivered to at least one intended. mobile user terminal of said plurality of mobile terminals coherently and in-phase, and wherein said hub can transmit a plurality of signals at the same frequency to said at least one intended mobile user terminal through said plurality of transponding nodes; and
determining the position of said at least one intended mobile user terminal based on signals received from said at least one intended mobile user terminal and stored on said hub as timing, phase, and/or frequency information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A multi-platform communication system, comprising:
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a hub for transmitting synchronized signals; and
a plurality of transponding nodes capable of receiving the synchronized signals from said hub and transmitting the synchronized signals to at least one intended user terminal such that the synchronized signals are received by said at least one intended user terminal synchronously and in-phase, wherein said hub uses one or more of timing, phase and frequency information collected from one or more signals from said at least one intended user terminal to determine the position of said at least one intended user terminal and synchronize signals. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of transmitting communication signals to multiple user terminals, comprising:
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processing signals from multiple user terminals at a hub to obtain information for synchronization and determination of the positions of said multiple user terminals; and
using the information to transmit synchronized signals from said hub through a plurality of transponding nodes to at least one intended user terminal of said multiple user terminals such that the synchronized signals are received by said at least one intended user terminal synchronously and in-phase, and further comprising;
establishing forward and return links between said hub and said at least one intended user terminal and at least one other terminal of said multiple user terminals, each through at least two of said plurality of transponding nodes, and transmitting from each of said at least two of said plurality of transponding nodes to a respective one of said at least one intended user terminal and said at least one other terminal at the same frequency.
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27. A method of transmitting communication signals to multiple user terminals, comprising:
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processing signals from multiple user terminals at a hub to obtain information for synchronization and determination of the positions of said multiple user terminals; and
using the information to transmit synchronized signals from said hub through a plurality of transponding nodes to at least one intended user terminal of said multiple user terminals such that the synchronized signals are received by said at least one intended user terminal synchronously and in-phase, wherein the information obtained at said hub comprises timing, phase and frequency information, and wherein said hub synchronizes one or more of the timing, phase and frequency of signals transmitted to said at least one intended user terminal and said at least one other terminal in both a forward;
link and a return link. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method for determining user position in a multi-transponder communication system, comprising:
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collecting data from signals received from user terminals at a hub through a plurality of transponding nodes, and determining at said hub, the positions of said user terminals using the collected data, wherein the data includes frequency, timing and/or phase data, and further comprising;
after determining the positions of said user terminals, synchronizing signals at said hub such that the synchronized signals when transmitted from said hub through at least two of said plurality of transponding nodes arrive at an intended one of said user terminals coherently and in-phase and arrive at a non-intended one of said user terminals out-of-phase. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for communicating signals to multiple user terminals in a multi-transponder communication system, comprising:
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collecting user position information, including timing, phase and frequency information, from signals received from said multiple user terminals at a hub;
determining, at said hub, the positions of said multiple user terminals using the collected user position information;
synchronizing signals for transmission through at least two transponding nodes to an intended one of said multiple user terminals using the collected user position information; and
transmitting synchronized signals to said at least two transponding nodes such that said at least two transponding nodes transmit the synchronized signals for arrival at said intended one of said multiple user terminals synchronously and in-phase. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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Specification